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Castlewood Productions is thrilled to announce the Western Canadian premiere of its documentary YOU’RE SOAKING IN IT, a chilling look at the dangers of advertising in the age of algorithms. The film will be screened at VIFF between Sept. 28th and Oct. 13, 2017.  Executive Producer of YOU’RE SOAKING IN IT is Castlewood’s Andrew Burnstein, while the feature documentary was directed by award-winning filmmaker Scott Harper (Clara’s Big Ride, The Secret Life of Pigeons, The Age of Anxiety).

Executive Producer Andrew Burnstein says audiences will be shocked, “If you think you know about big data, think again. This film will open your eyes to what even industry insiders call ‘the wild west’ of advertising, a whole new, deeper level of personal profiling and targeting, all aimed at knowing you better than you know yourself.” Is it good, bad, invasive, convenient – or, simply the price we pay for a free internet?

What was quaint is now quantifiable. What was once best guesses and creative leaps is now precise, targeted surveillance and ‘Big Data,’ rooted in hard science, complicated math and artificial intelligence. The data used to make ads now is often very personal information tailored to influence you at the precise moment you are most ready to spend. Depending on your personal view, this could either be the height of convenience … or a frightening end to private, respectful society.